Belgian-American ballet artist with a researcher's eye for the art form.
Karl Pil (he/him) is a multi-racial Belgian-American ballet dancer whose work spans performance, film, teaching, choreography, culture work, and arts leadership.
From Pittsburgh to UNCSA, OBT, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and Lincoln Center.
Karl began training at age 16 with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School's Student and Pre-Professional Divisions before joining the ballet program at UNCSA at the invitation of former Dean of Dance Susan Jaffe.
At UNCSA, he performed in original stage and film productions featuring works by Claudia Schreier, Ilya Kozadayev, Mikhail Tchoupakov, Gina Patterson, and Tom Gold. During his senior year, the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts invited Karl to represent UNCSA at the announcement of its multi-year partnership with Dance Theatre of Harlem.
He traveled to Harlem to train under Donald Williams, Charmaine Hunter, and Endalyn Outlaw, members of Dance Theatre of Harlem's original Firebird cast, before performing the role of the Prince in UNCSA's Spring 2024 revival of The Firebird.
Company Artist, fellow, educator, candidate.
Karl graduated in 2024 with a BFA in Classical Ballet and a minor in Arts Entrepreneurship, with recognition including the Tom Kenan Merit Scholarship, the School of Dance Dean's Fellowship, and the Gillian Murphy Endowed Scholarship, awarded twice.
Following graduation, Karl joined Oregon Ballet Theatre as a Company Artist, appearing in works by Loughlan Prior, Tiit Helimets, Ben Stevenson, George Balanchine, and Artistic Director Dani Rowe. He also served on faculty at the Oregon Ballet Theatre School and was a member of OBT's Culture Committee.
Karl has performed as a Supplemental Company Artist with Nevada Ballet Theatre in 2024 and 2026. He is currently a Kenan Fellow at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a program dedicated to creative research, critical inquiry, and artistic practice.
Training, repertory, and artistic development.
UNCSA
BFA in Classical Ballet on full scholarship, with Arts Entrepreneurship minor and major merit scholarship support.
Oregon Ballet Theatre
Company Artist, OBT School faculty instructor, and OBT Culture Committee dancer representative.
Nevada Ballet Theatre
Supplemental Company Artist and Guest Artist, including Ben Stevenson's Cinderella and Loughlan Prior's Hansel and Gretel.
Harvard Extension School
ALM candidate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, exploring behavioral science, dancer motivation, team function, and healthier arts organizations.
For full training, performance experience, scholarships, and references, download Karl's current resume.
Download Resume